Oh Happy Day!

It's Thursday. I had a conference today so I had a day off from teaching.

I'm getting sick (with a cold, I think), but I've managed to head it off. Although, my ears are blocking up again. (Gee, think I should get a regular doctor instead of going to the walk-in clinics all the time??)

Tomorrow starts my local chapter retreat!! Yay! A whole weekend devoted just to writing. I'm so psyched. I've packed my 3 works in progress-just in case I get tired of working on one. I've got 2 notebooks (I LOVE writing stories longhand during the the early stages of a manuscript). I'm packing my headphones and a bunch of tapes that used to inspire me that I haven't listened to in a few years. (We'll see if they still inspire!) Oh, and my Lion King sheets for the twin bed in the dorm room. I bought these when the movie first came out, when I was 23. I know they're kind of childish, but for me they remind me of the inner child that I sometimes feel I've lost touch with. I don't want to lose that inner child, so this weekend I've decided will be her weekend. If my inner child decides to pull an all nighter, she's allowed. If she wants to walk around singing Hakuna Matata, she's allowed. If she wants to sneak in some contriband items (like sodas and candy) for her dorm life, then I'll allow it. My inner child and my muse are very close cousins. I figure if I allow the inner child to play, then the muse will be more than happy to accomodate me. Wish us luck!

Better Days

I'm feeling much better today and even managed to eat like a normal person again. I'm also well enough to start working on my contemporary in earnest again. As I sit here adding some details to an already written scene, I realize that I do love my heroine, but she has no skill whatsoever as a home repair person. As my fingers move over the keys spilling out her plight I can't help but giggle. In some ways she's just like me. In other ways we're complete opposites. She at least attempts to fix things. If it's beyond changing a light bulb, I just wait and call on someone else to fix the problem.

Not A Good Start

Hurling every ten minutes from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. does not a good weekend make!

Woohoo!

I got my car back and it's beautiful. You'd never know it was in an accident only 3 short weeks ago. (Oh, and the insurance agent who was supposed to be handling this, who went out of town when I needed her, called today to see about setting up the repairs. Um, hello??)

It's a THREE day weekend! We have Monday off for a teacher sanity day. (Yes, we already need them!) I finished my lesson plans this afternoon and walked out empty handed. No grading, no researching lessons, no planning. My weekend is devoted to having fun, which in my world requires lots of writing time!

My CP is helping me to stay focused on finishing my own manuscript instead of signing up to judge contests. Can we say GH deadline and book revisions not finished? Can we say money already in Houston???

I've been doing well for 2 days on my diet and I exercised! I was watching The Unit where the guys had to evacuate people from a hospital and they had to WEIGH everyone. I decided then & there that I could NOT be in an emergency situation where I have to be weighed in public looking and feeling the way I do. That was enough motivation to get on the ball with some healthy living.

My Austin RWA writing retreat is only one week away!

A New Day Has Begun

Or it will when the sun comes up tomorrow. Hear me now and hold me accountable. I'm tired of feeling like crap because I'm not as in shape as I should be. I'm tired of being tired and not getting enough done as far as my writing goes. So, here are my end of the year resolutions:

I promise to start back to the gym TOMORROW night. I hope to go 5 days a week where I participate in either a class or individual exercise.

I promise not to drink as much...which shouldn't be a problem after my outrageous display during TX/ OU weekend. (Did I mention that to you?)

I promise to spend at least 20 hours a week on some kind of writing work- that can include queries, synopsis work, notes for new books, revising, brainstorming, contest entries, or just free-writing with specific characters in mind.

Life is too short not be happy with yourself most of the time. So, after hitting 35, I've decided I want to be happier with myself. I'm counting on you to harrass...er, I mean cheer me on to success! After hemming and hawing for weeks, I'm finally up for the challenge. The question is, are you?

Heeheehee...

The perfect way to critique middle school essay drafts--a red pen in one hand and a beer in the other.

Uh-Oh!

I just finished putting together another set of contest entries. While doing this, I started reading through FP so that I could get back into the flow of the story.

First problem with this: I found a few typos. Ouch. How could I have sent it like that???

Second problem with this: Turns out I have a crapload of work to do before this baby is ready for GH. Wow. I guess I hadn't done as much as I thought. Ouch.

Better get my butt in gear.

I Know I'm Not Allowed To Commit Crimes...

...but sometimes I want to kill those middle school kids! Another week done, the official end of our first quarter. I really can't imagine doing this for another 3 quarters. Hopefully I'll spend a lot of time at conferences. There are two bright spots to the day job, though. I love my co-workers and I love my ESL duties. I'm working on lessons for my ESL 6th grader, this last week I had a 4th grade student join my ESL class and next week I start working with a non-English speaking Kindergarten boy!

No writing done at all. We had our monthly Austin RWA meeting (with Sandy Blair as the guest speaker) and I promised to work on a manuscript of one of the ladies in my CP group. I did decide though that UCOD's prologue is definitely out. I like things about the scene, but it doesn't feel right anymore since I changed some major threads in the story. I'm planning to get back into FP either tomorrow or Sunday. Finally.

I'm sure there's something important I was going to blog about, but for the life of me I can't remember. So, I guess I'll go. Talk to you later!

Happy Birthday To Me!!

A wonderful day, despite having to get up for parent conferences where the parents didn't show. Still, I had to work for 4 hours and I was able to leave at 11:45. I dropped my dented car off at the repair place, got my rental and came home. My afternoon was spent in Barnes & Noble. I had my purchases in my hot little hands within 5 minutes, but I stayed and kept looking. I bought a new CD I've been waiting for- Evanescence, The Open Door. I'm listening to it now and it's awesome! Plus, I FINALLY found On a Highland Shore by Kathleen Givens!! Yay! I also bought Improper English by Katie MacAlister. This is another one I've spent quite a while searching for.

On the writing front, I tried to revise my UCOD prologue, but I really don't like it now. I might just forget about it for now and get back to my Scottish stories. I've got another contest entry to get out in the next few days. The deadline's still 3 weeks away, but if it's ready to go why not mail it early?

I'm off to finish celebrating....

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'. Keep My Life A-Rollin'

Yeehaw! Got UCOD revisions done early last night and I'm mailing it to the editor who requested the full after work today. I LOVE the changes I've made and it's such a stronger piece now!

The adjuster is stopping by today to check out the damage to my car so I'll be able to arrange a rental in the next couple of days.

I've got an AWESOME teaching assistant who does most of my grading for me and makes my life a zillion times easier.

I finished reading Kit Frazier's Scoop last night. Good book. Awesome writer.

Right now life is good.

And I still have all my hair.

How Do I Live...

...on 5-6 hours of sleep a night when I used to get 7-8?

...with no word from the insurance agent about getting a rental car?

...with no word about getting my own car repaired?

...with all the hormonally challenged kids entrusted to my care each day?

...without losing my sanity? (Oh, wait. That's gone. Has been for some time.)

...with two books begging to be finished, two more dying to be told and never enough time to satisfy any of the characters?

If you have answers to any of these problems, please share. I'm ready to pull my hair out and I really don't want to go bald.

You Know It's Going To Be A Long Week...

...when you've already spent 5 1/2 hours at work and it's only Sunday night.

...when you're planning which days this week you can leave early, and by that you mean before 6.

...when you're yawning as you think about all the things on the week's "To Do" List.

...when you're waiting impatiently for the afternoon of staff development coming up on Thursday so you don't have to actually be standing up in front of a room.

...when you're thinking about using some of those 11 vacation days for a mental health day even though we've got 2 this month.

...when it's 12:20 on Monday morning, you haven't gone to bed yet and the alarm is set to go off in about 5 1/2 hours.

And don't even get me started on the car repairs...

And How Was Your Week?

Sunday- Worked on UCOD, read a little, watched football.
Monday-Worked late. Still not caught up. Worked on UCOD ending.
Tuesday- Didn't work late. Watched 2 of my favorite shows. Revised UCOD chapters 1-4
Wednesday- Didn't work late. Read. Revised chapters 5-8.
Thursday- Open House for parents. Got the chance to get 7th grader in trouble. I gave progress reports a couple of weeks ago. His mom never got it, so I whipped out my copy for her to read. Got home late, worked on contest entries to mail after work on Friday.
Friday- Never made it to the post office. Got into my first car accident. 3 cars involved, but all the drivers walked away. I sat in traffic, watched the car try to make a tricky left turn and knew the oncoming traffic would get him. I had no escape, nowhere to go. I could only sit there and wait for it to happen. Scariest moment of my life in a LOOOOONG time. The other 2 cars had to be towed. I drove to school thinking the damage wasn't that bad. Turns out it is. It's still in the parking lot.
Saturday- Going to get back behind the wheel (of family member's car) and mail off my contest entries. Hey, the writing business must go on! Then it's off to tailgate and watch the Longhorns kick butt tomorrow night!

I leave you with the homework I gave to my students today: Have a good weekend and hug the people you love.

Nothin' Much New

I just felt like posting.

Six weeks of school have gone by. We're all a little stressed already. I think I'm the least stressed and I'm sure that has a lot to do with my love for my new duties as ESL Coordinator as well as my writing.

Mailed off 2 more contest entries today for FP. I'd planned to start right in on my revisions to UCOD so that I can get the requested full out the door ASAP, but it hasn't happened yet. Instead I watched a football game (Go Longhorns!) until the power went out. Luckily it only stayed off for a few minutes.

I'll do a little plotting and planning tonight for the suspense, UCOD, and then tomorrow I'll jump into the revisions with both feet. My goal is to have it on its way to the editor within two weeks. Then it'll be back to FP.

Speaking of my first attempt at a contemporary, I registered FP for the Golden Heart this morning and paid my fee. I guess there's no turning back now. Once UCOD is on its way, I'll throw myself back into my fictional Scottish village and see what other greatness I can discover before the 12/4 deadline!

Hope it's a good weekend wherever you are.

GMC

I admit it. I call myself a writer, but until this last few days I've never EVER read Deb Dixon's book on Goal, Motivation & Conflict. When I checked it out of my RWA library last week, one woman told me it would change my life. I hope it does help me to understand the GMC's of my characters. I believe in my gut I know what the goals and motivations are of my characters, but I think my problem is articulating them. Maybe I'll be able to do that and actually move up another rung or two on my ladder to publication. Stay tuned to find out....

Skeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

I don't know what it is, but I have this amazing fascination with Skeet Ulrich. After seeing him in The Magic of Ordinary Days (which is a romance and I loved it!), I just raved about him. Then the movie was over, real life returned and Skeet disappeared.

Unil tonight.

I just finished watching Jericho. I LOVED it. Now, I don't know if I loved it because Skeet is in it and plays a great part or if the story is actually good. I tend to think it's a combination of both.

The premise of the show is a nuclear explosion has taken place and this little town doesn't know if it's the only surviving town. The idea of a disaster happening is not a new story, but the way the show is presented is new. We see the mushroom cloud in the distance and then we see how people react. We also get sucked in and empathize with the characters. Or at least I did. To the point I almost started crying in parts.

Then again, for me it could all be Skeet.

Dear cable company,

Thank you for ruining the one season premiere I've been looking forward to watching. Anxious months I have spent thinking about the characters and what would happen to them during the start of the new season. Tonight, you made sure to deprive me of that information.

I would have liked to have seen the WHOLE hour. Cutting out at 8:30 and giving me a blue screen for TWENTY minutes was not very customer friendly. But, you were able to restart my service and I thank you for that. I just wish it had been sooner. Watching a main character get airlifted out of what I will presume was hostile territory and watching another main couple decide to stay on base would have meant so much more if I had seen all the obstacles they'd gone through to get to that point in the show.

You were able to come through for me in one way. Thank you so much for giving me back service in time to see the preview for next week's show, but may I offer some advice? Whatever the problem was, please make sure it is fixed before next Tuesday. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN.

Sincerely,
One ticked off fan of "The Unit"

Good News All Around

First and foremost--- CONGRATULATIONS to Michelle Willingham, who just sold to Mills & Boon Historical!!! I've been reading her blog for some time and following her progress. May it be the first of many, lady!

Now, on to me...

I finally called tech support and I'm able to get online from home again!!!

Got my first ever check for writing-- $15 for UCOD's 2nd place in Ignite the Flame. I'm so tickled I actually thought of framing the check instead of cashing it. My grandfather even offered to give me the money if I decide to frame it!

Got a FULL requested from the editor who placed UCOD 2nd in that contest.

Sent off 2 more contest entries today, with 2 more planned at the weekend and 2 more the week after that.

On the "downside" (if you can call it that) I now have to work even harder to finish FP by GH time AND do the revisions to the suspense (UCOD) that I vowed to do if I ever got a full request!

Guess I better stop typing and get to work!

Researchus Interruptus

You'd think that since I can't get online at home that I'd be able to get a LOT more writing done, right? Not happening. Don't know why, but my brain isn't falling for that.

Don't know what's wrong with AOL at home, don't know how to fix it and don't know when I'll be able to get online while I'm writing again. All I do know is that coming into work on my days off to answer E-mails, blog hop, and do some research is NOT FUN.

Taking A Page From....

an author who has many unbelievable things happen to her.

I went to bed the other night. I shut the light off and checked the alarm before drifting back across the room to my bed. I sat on the edge of the bed and felt something puffy underneath me. Hhmm, I must be sitting on the pillow. So I moved down toward the foot of the bed...and fell right off. Ouch. I threw out my arms so I wouldn't knock out my front teeth, banged my knee and then my head hit something. My first thought was, "Damn! Now I can't go to sleep because if I hit my head I might never wake up!" My next thought was, "Oh hell, I'm too tired to worry about it!"

Obviously I survived.